Reunion
by heartsandpens
Summary: It's three years after Ziva and Tony said goodbye, three years after Ziva left NCIS. But she has a visitor. A visitor in Israel that will change her life for better or for worse. TIVA!
1. Chapter 1

Ziva stood alone. It was a beautiful summer day in Israel – the breeze added a soft symphony to the bubble of the lake beside where she stood, but for Ziva, even nature's best could not comfort her lonely and bruised heart.

It had been three years, three years since leaving NCIS and three years since her kiss with Tony. Tony. The name itself made her heart shudder as the memory of feeling his soft lips caressing hers crossed her mind. She loved him and she knew it, everything about him. Even his annoying pranks and occasional irritating comments made the corners of her mouth crease on her tear-stained face that almost resembled a smile. Smile. How could she smile when all that was in her heart was the numbing regret knowing away at her conscience and making her mind fixate upon the one thing she was trying so hard to forget – **Tony.**

"Ziva".

She looked up, startled – her skin prickling. On instinct, Ziva's hand automatically moved to the side of her hip where three years ago, she would have found her weapon. Her eyes searched the expanse of the olive orchard. There was no-one.

"Ziva" again.

"Get over yourself" she thought. "No-one's here", the phrase she repeated over and over to herself, pushing away the thought, no, the almost certainty that the voice she was hearing sounded almost like...like... Tony.

Suddenly shivering, Ziva shook off the doubt, got up and started walking towards home. The waves in her hair gently swayed down her back as the light from the trees sparkled on its surface, making it glimmer as she quickened her pace. If Ziva didn't have the unease about her, she would have noticed the jagged rock in her path and would not have stabbed her toe against it so hard, that it swelled."Oh-" she sighed, removing her sandal and momentarily stopping to check her injury. As quickly as the wind came, the light above her suddenly became dimmer and she squinted. "Oh" she said again, this time a lump forming in her throat.

There was a man above her. Tony.

Almost in a split second, Ziva recognised him. Her heart, thudding so loud against her chest made her sure he could hear it. He was the same but so different. Tony's eyes were, as always, the mesmerising green that she lately found herself often day-dreaming about, and his frame, tall but now more muscled, was standing in front of her. A few seconds passed.

Silence. No-one spoke, there weren't any words. Not for the moment.

Tony's eyes slowly, and slightly sadly, looked deeply at Ziva's face. She was still so beautiful, so perfect but much more tan. Her olive-skin was clearly embraced by the Sun and her eyes, still the deep, dark clouds of mystery that fascinated him.

They needed this. To look at each other.

Tony was the first to react. Quietly and gently, he closed the large gap between them and left a tiny space, fit for a thin beam of light to separate their bodies from touching. With a strong hand, he gently cupped her face, her beautiful face."I missed you Ziva" he croaked, the bottled emotion suddenly pouring out of his throat and breaking his voice.

She didn't speak but the cloudy formation of her eyes soon added a dampness to her cheeks as the tears started to come. She couldn't believe that he was here, after so long. Why now? Not that she was complaining, but they, well she, had decided on a new start, a new life. Now that was broken for better or for worse. She knew that now they had met again, she could never let him go, at least, not without breaking the remaining shattered fragments of her heart.

She softly swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I missed you too".


	2. Chapter 2

**_ She softly swallowed and took a deep breath._**

**_"I missed you too"._**

Tony and Ziva continued to stand alone in the deserted orchard. The birds, who till Tony's arrival were chirping pleasantly in the morning air, now remained mute as if they themselves could feel the silence.

Tony's hand did not move from Ziva's cheek. Instead his fingers softly stroked the smooth surface of her face and the other hand rested upon her waist, little by little pulling her closer. His eyes were searching – carefully treading over their past, and half-wishing that she would say a word.

Ziva always knew the stories behind his green eyes and swallowed. Hard.

"So..I..we..." the words struggled from her mouth and wriggled into his ears causing nothing but an increasing tension between them. This had never been so hard for her before so why was it now? Ziva thought. It was just Tony DiNozzo after all- class clown. She tried to bring back an old part of herself, the reckless, ninja-like "sweet cheeks" in Tony's words – she tried to find something to say. But each time she tried, it all came tumbling back – their kiss, the goodbye, the aching of her heart after he left and finally her new life.

Finally, after another heap of minutes, it was Tony who took the first step.

He cleared his throat, hands still on her waist, eyes still on hers.

"Are you still...have you..?" he was asking the question they both knew was coming. For the first time since their Casablanca-style farewell, Ziva let out a small, almost in-audible chuckle.

"How can you ask such a thing?" she whispered glancing momentarily at his lips and then switching back to bore into his eyes. "It's only you for me Tony. That's what the necklace was for, to remind you that I will always love you" while adding a slight blush to her cheeks.

Tony turned back. He smiled softly and murmured "i love you too", pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. He let out a long, sound, breath as she slowly let herself melt, limb by limb, into his arms.

Holding her with his hands, Tony closed the gap between their bodies and kissed her. He tasted of memories- sweet and sad. She let him kiss her for a while, just standing there, lips still, allowing herself to be reminded of this man who she loved and who loved her so much. Then, she began to kiss him back – slowly like him and softly. They treasured each other, like gold, each afraid that the other was a figment of their imagination. Each revelling in the incandescent sweetness of the moment.

"Come home with me" Tony mumbled in-between planting kisses on her lips. Ziva stiffened. Tony felt it, and surprised, pulled away.

Ziva looked down at the ground, her hands still on his neck but the moment was lost. She shivered suddenly – the air seemed to have chilled and she wasn't sure whether it was the situation or the cold that was giving her goose bumps across her skin.

She needed to explain. Ziva bit her lip,

"Tony" she tried, eyes filling, again, with tears, "you know I can't".

This time, Tony's whole body turned away from Ziva, his arm fell from her side and other hand dropped from her cheek.

"What?" his eyes were starting to burn with hurt and sudden anger. "Then what did this mean?" he raised his tone, referring to their kiss.

Ziva remained collected.

"It means I love you, and always will but I need to take time before I am ready to be deserving of you and-"

"You're everything to me Ziva" he cut her off.

"But it takes time" she repeated calmly but at the same time, with huge guilt in her eyes.

"Time? It has been years since we last saw each other and you had not contacted me at all. I told you I loved you and you still made me go – and yes, at that time I realised that you needed to find yourself, but I've started a new life and realised I cannot live without you, Ziva. I'll love you and I'm willing to commit. I'm not the old Tony, I've changed and I want you to come back into my life" he panted, breathless, spilling emotions like it was the leaves falling from the trees.

Ziva's forehead creased as her eyebrows knitted into a sad smile. "I have started a new life too".

"But you said you didn't have..."

"I don't" again she read his mind. "It's always you. I still need to be ready properly before I come home with you, and I want to come home with you".

"Then why can't you come now?"

"Because-

"You're not ready" he finished for her. "I'll never have you, Ziva, will I?"

The conversation felt like the interrogation room back at NCIS- it had become heated, hurt-filled, guilt-ridden and was causing un-bearable pain to Ziva. She still needed to explain. Explain everything to Tony.

At last, she found the courage to just let it out.

"I'm a teacher now" she looked at him, both lovingly and sadly. "I teach languages and I love it. There are no guns anymore, no violence and it's all just peace. When I come home every day, work-wise I feel a sense of satisfaction that I have helped a child, I have contributed for life, rather than death. I am at peace here but I am not. There's been one hole, the deepest hole that has not been filled and never will be as long as I'm alone."

Tony looked at her again, this time less angry but equally hurt.

"..I've never loved someone as I have loved you and it took me eight years to learn that. You're the puzzle-piece that fits, makes up for all the joys I missed as a child. You have done so much for me – helped me, loved me and now missing me. I need to be deserving of you and of myself. I need to return to you when I feel that I can. And when the time comes, I promise..." she paused.

" I promise it won't be long".

Tony looked into her eyes. There was no point mentioning everything he had already said to her – that she deserved him, that he loved her for who she was and many other points for his case. She was as stubborn as a mule and nothing could touch her decisions. Not even him.

He waited, as before, and then spoke.

"Let's spend the week together. Just you and I. Then, you make your decision".

She had nothing to say, except nod weakly.

But, just as Tony DiNozzo men don't cry, they do not let their loved ones go without a fight and so it was, Anthony DiNozzo was prepared to move mountains to get her back home to him.

**A/N : HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THIS CHAPTER! I'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY WITH GCSE STUFF SO PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BUT DEFINITELY WITHIN A WEEK. THANKS FOR THE VIEWS AND REVIEWS, I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! J**

** DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NCIS UNFORTUNATELY **


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